Clayton Leonard

Clayton Leonard, Age 90, Retired, Horse Van Builder, Car lover (Edsels), Bristol, Virginia:

“Bought my first Edsel new in 1959. It was green. Bought the one I have now in 1970. It’s an Edsel… Ford Edsel Corsair. It’s kind of a luxury car. The price on it was about $3,000 I believe, when I bought it new, something like that. Back then, gas was about twenty-five cents a gallon; you could get a Pepsi Cola or a Coke for about a nickel and a MoonPie for about that same amount of money. Time flies by so fast you know.“

“That (first) Edsel I was telling you about, I drove it up and down State Street and this girl, she was out there watching me all the time… I don’t know, one day she said she wanted to marry me, so I married her. She passed away in 2009. We had two daughters, my oldest also passed away in 2009.”

Marty Rose

Marty Rose, Retired Sea Dog, Drummer, Tree hugger; Clintwood, Virginia:

“At 17, I shipped out of this one horse coal town, never thinking of what I was leaving behind or the lessons I had yet to learn, I was just glad to be going. I was ready for the greatest adventure of all. But coming home after 20 years, a lot of salt water under the bridge, I have finally found my way in life. It was here the whole time... I have since learned to appreciate the gifts home has to give; good,honest people, great music, awesome friends... Sometimes, you can see the forest for the trees. I'm glad I'm part of this place, its traditions, its people and its heritage. May we live long and prosper and rock out to some kick ass music.”

Steve Ruth

Steve Ruth, Self Employed; Elkhorn City, Kentucky.

"My earliest memories are of being held by my mother in the surf and breaking waves of Coney Island. Flowing streams are where I go to find the universe, and my little corner of Appalachia has one that draws like minded souls from all over the planet. My favorite music is the stuff I haven't heard, and my favorite river is the one in my back yard. It's new every time I step into it."

Brandon Dinelli

Brandon Dinelli, Maker of Artificial Limbs (Family Business); Bristol, Virginia:

“About all I know is Bristol. I like Bristol, it’s quiet. The greatest part of everything, (is) being Appalachian. I like the story of how we came here, just chopped down some woods and made a homestead. This is where we’re gonna live.”

“There is this thing that everybody says about this place; If you lived here you are always gonna end up back here; something about these mountains they say. It’s the vibe you get off of them that makes this home. When you go elsewhere, at least when I go somewhere else, and if I don’t see the mountains in the background with the rolling hills I always feel a sense of unease. This is home. This is where I’m gonna be.“

“(Outsiders) always portray us as dumb, thick accents and rednecks but that ain’t us. We like our sweet tea and stuff like that but we are just easy, laid back folks that don’t get up in a tizzy about everything. I don’t know why they do that. I think they are jealous of how laid back we are, how we just take everything with a grain of salt.“